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Jamal NUMAN, Jamal432@gmail.com, P.O.BoX: 731, Ramallah, West Bank.

There are quite a few different ways to get the data from the CSV file into Excel.

When the data from the CSV file is imported, you may or may not need to tell Excel that it should use a comma delimiter. That is, each time Excel sees a comma in the CSV file, it understands that it has to put the subsequent data into a separate column. If no delimiter is used then Excel will just dump each entire line into the 1st column in the spreadsheet.


If you open the file within windows explorer then the comma delimiter will automatically be used so you will get the screenshot 2 result.
The same is true if you open the file in Excel by going File > Open.



If you import the CSV file by going Data > From Text then you need to be a bit more careful because you have to tell it to use a comma delimiter. The text import wizard will appear -

• On Step 1 make sure Delimited is chosen
• On Step 2 make sure that Comma delimiter (not Tab) is chosen

If you forget to do this and Excel puts everything in a single column then all is not lost. You can use the text to columns utility to split the data out.


Does that help?

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Colin

RAD Excel Blog

thank you Colin for the answer.

The problem that i sometimes get the file open as in screenshot 1 and others as in screenshots 2 knowing that i use the same way to open the file (whether from the explorer or from the File>open in excel as shown in the attached screenshots)! this is why i got confused! same way to open the file but different format obtained! sometimes!

what might be behind this behavior?

Just in case i get them as in screenshot 1, is there away to have them converted to be like the format in screenshot 2?



regards

Jamal

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Jamal NUMAN, Jamal432@gmail.com, P.O.BoX: 731, Ramallah, West Bank.

Hi Jamal,

If you're opening the same file using the same method on the same PC, it's pretty strange that the delimiter would be honoured on some occasions but not others. It could possibly be due to the list separator not being set correctly in the Windows regional settings.
Yes, certainly. You can select column A > Data > Text to Columns. Then the method is very similar to the import wizard steps I mentioned before.

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Colin

RAD Excel Blog

Thank you for the prompt answer Colin.

That's correct that i use the same method to open the file but not the same computer!

for the time being, I'm using my lab top, i'll check the setting of the "List separator" of the windows in the other PC and let you know.

is this the only reason for which i got the appearance shown in the screenshot 1?

regards

Jamal

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Jamal NUMAN, Jamal432@gmail.com, P.O.BoX: 731, Ramallah, West Bank.

Hi Jamal,
Ah ok, that sounds a little less strange then!
If the CSV files are associated with Excel (when you double click on them in Windows Explorer your computer knows that it should open them into Excel), then the only thing I can think of is the regional settings list separator.

__________________
Colin

RAD Excel Blog

__________________
Jamal NUMAN, Jamal432@gmail.com, P.O.BoX: 731, Ramallah, West Bank.